The woman who attempted to drive her vehicle through a White House gate, then led Capitol police on a high-speed chase before being shot dead, had a history of mental illness and "believed President Obama was electronically monitoring her Connecticut home in order to broadcast her life on television," reports ABC News, citing sources who knew her. Multiple law enforcement sources have identified her Miriam Carey, and sources cited by ABC News say "Carey believed she was the 'prophet of Stamford' and was capable of communicating with Obama." (more…)]]>

Miriam Carey (Facebook)

The woman who attempted to drive her vehicle through a White House gate, then led Capitol police on a high-speed chase before being shot dead, had a history of mental illness and "believed President Obama was electronically monitoring her Connecticut home in order to broadcast her life on television," reports ABC News, citing sources who knew her. Multiple law enforcement sources have identified her Miriam Carey, and sources cited by ABC News say "Carey believed she was the 'prophet of Stamford' and was capable of communicating with Obama." (more…)]]>http://boingboing.net/2013/10/04/miriam-carey-woman-killed-in.html/feed48259881Three things to know about postpartum depression as you read about Miriam Carey and the Capitol car chasehttp://boingboing.net/2013/10/04/3-realities-of-postpartum-depr.html
http://boingboing.net/2013/10/04/3-realities-of-postpartum-depr.html#commentsFri, 04 Oct 2013 19:58:47 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=259712

On the Today Show this morning, a psychologist said "postpartum depression has led mothers to kill their children." This is not true.

Yesterday, Miriam Carey died after being shot by police following a car chase between the White House and the US Capitol building. Carey is reported to have tried to ram through barricades at the White House, hitting at least one officer as well as a squad car. She then drove her vehicle into barriers in front of the Hart Senate Building before being fatally shot by law enforcement officers. She was unarmed. A child identified as her daughter — a little more than one year old — was in the car the whole time.

Today, news outlets are reporting that Carey had a history of traumatic brain injury and postpartum depression, the latter of which may have been severe enough to send her to the hospital at some point in the past year. Nobody knows what, if any, effect this may have had on what happened yesterday. But it's led to plenty of speculation, and the spread of bad information that stigmatizes women suffering from an incredibly common mental illness.

On the Today Show this morning, a psychologist said "postpartum depression has led mothers to kill their children." This is not true.

Yesterday, Miriam Carey died after being shot by police following a car chase between the White House and the US Capitol building. Carey is reported to have tried to ram through barricades at the White House, hitting at least one officer as well as a squad car. She then drove her vehicle into barriers in front of the Hart Senate Building before being fatally shot by law enforcement officers. She was unarmed. A child identified as her daughter — a little more than one year old — was in the car the whole time.

Today, news outlets are reporting that Carey had a history of traumatic brain injury and postpartum depression, the latter of which may have been severe enough to send her to the hospital at some point in the past year. Nobody knows what, if any, effect this may have had on what happened yesterday. But it's led to plenty of speculation, and the spread of bad information that stigmatizes women suffering from an incredibly common mental illness.